Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has come under fire from former star Brendan Cole, who claims she has not been up to the challenge on the show. The criticism follows Amy becoming the first professional eliminated from this year's competition alongside her celebrity partner, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton.
Amy and Chris landed in the dance-off with Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu, and Amy admitted she was "heartbroken" when the judges unanimously voted to save the latter.
Brendan Cole's criticism
Speaking to Sky Vegas, Brendan said: "To be a pro on Strictly is a big job and one has to be up to the challenge. Amy has not been up to the challenge, in my opinion. I don't think Amy's been doing a very good job for the last few years and she's been out first for the last few years. One can do the maths on that."
He added: "She's standing out there counting him in. She's counting every step for him. It's very obvious that the job has not been done, and I don't think people are enjoying it."
Amy's Strictly history
Brendan was a Strictly professional from its launch in 2004 until 2017, when the BBC decided not to renew his contract. Amy joined the BBC One show as a professional in 2017. She was forced to withdraw from the 2023 series following her breast cancer diagnosis earlier that year.
She returned to the show as a pro in 2024 and was partnered with JLS star JB Gill. Unfortunately, Amy had to drop out of that series too after injuring her ankle. Last year, the Welsh dancer was paired with Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, but they were the first to be eliminated from the competition, meaning this is the second year in a row that Amy has been the first to leave.
Amy's emotional response
After Amy and Chris were axed from the competition, she said the celebrity hairstylist has become a "friend for life". The dancer grew emotional as she said: "Watching Chris grow in confidence, although it was short-lived with only two weeks, that is what I'll take away from it. Obviously, I am heartbroken. This seems to be my luck the last few years, but you know what? My heart is only breaking because I don't get to dance with you on Monday. But I get a friend for life, and that's what's going to heal my broken heart."
